Rise of the Machines Part 5

[Tuckerfan]

Great, the flying Terminator works.

During the final test at Fort Benning, Ga., the GTMax used eight different low-level flight control systems and three guidance systems in a single flight, including adapting to primary flight control system hardware failures, environmental factors and changes in aircraft configuration.

The final tests on Georgia Tech’s UAV demonstrated several key advancements:

• The UAV is able to learn as it flies.

• The UAV is able to reconfigure after failures in primary flight control systems, including losing the ability to change the pitch of the main rotor.

• The UAV is able to automatically plan a route through obstacles.

• The UAV is able to maneuver aggressively.

(emphasis mine)

It gets even scarier.

Georgia Tech’s primary contribution to the overall project was continuing work started by Boeing on the new SEC system, an Open Control Platform (OCP), which gives the UAV the ability to reconfigure its software systems autonomously in flight.

The OCP is an object-oriented, real-time operating software architecture that can handle very large sets of data and computations in real time, similar to a pilot’s brain reacting to enemy fire or changing weather conditions.

There’s no mention of when they’ll be planning weapons tests, but you just know the Professor Frinks are salivating at the thought.

[Rhubarb]

I, for one, welcome our new flying Terminator overlords.

[Regallag_The_Axe]

They’ve got nuthin’ on my 1920’s style death ray.

[Doctor_Jackson]

Go Jackets!